Time and again, you and me
by Norwegiandragon
Summary: Roland is from a different world, Leander from a country forbidden to love. The initial mistrust leads to some interesting results, and possibly a love that could keep a loved one home.
1. The beginning

p style="text-align: left;"Roland had no idea what he was getting into. First, it seemed that the rules for vampires here was markedly different than back in his world. They didn't drink blood here, it was actually offensive to do so. They walked about in the daylight without a problem. There were very well known rules in cities for vampires to follow, though Roland himself was still learning them. Evan was clueless about them for the most part, as green as when Roland had first come here. Batu and Tani were more helpful, though neither of them knew much about vampires or the rules they followed. There were very few vampires in the sky pirates it seemed. br /br /Khunbish was very helpful with the rules. As a vampire himself, he should be. He helped clear up the confusion Roland had, and answered each question to the best of his knowledge. Roland was very grateful to him for it, even if he would still have to tread with care in the cities. What worked for sky pirates wasn't always the same elsewhere. br /br /Goldpaw was his first real experience with a city. He had fed from a wild animal before leaving Evermore, so it wasn't hunger that bothered him. There were wards here, he could feel it like a subtle itch across his skin. The first contact with the ward was at the door to an inn. He felt like he had run into a brick wall when he walked into it. Evan was the most startled by him hitting the ward, since he knew it wasn't easy to knock Roland over onto his butt (Batu was an exception because of his sheer size and muscle.) "No vampires allowed dear. Too many things in here could injure them, so we put the ward up for their protection. Better luck for your friend at the inn down the ways - she don't like wards against vampires much do vampires usually stay at her inn." The lady at the desk said, sighing softly. "Right pity too, I'd let him stay if it weren't so dangerous. Looks like a fine young man to me." br /br /Well. Looks like they were going to the other inn. Roland felt much safer here, since the only wards he could tell were to lessen the sense of the wards in the city. He didn't feel itchy, like he had upon walking into the city. "Welcome dearie. Don't get many folk round here what with the other inn." The older lady at a table off to the side said. "Um...we were told this is a place vampires could sleep..." Evan started, hesitantly. "Seems most of the inns here have wards against vampires." Roland said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. br /br /"Ah, must have come from Testle's. She is the inn most people see first, since were a bit off the beaten path here. Tells any vampire looking for lodging to come here. So I take it one or more of you is a vampire?" Roland was admiting this lady more as they talked. "Ah, just me." He confessed, placing his right fist on his hip. "Well, I'll get you some food then. Any preference? If it is blood, might take a bit longer. Specially if it ain't animal blood." She said, fussing a few minutes with a key ring. "Two rooms is 60 gald." She told Evan, placing the two keys on the table in front of her. "Animal blood is my preference actually. Most people look at me funny when I ask about it though." A sympathetic hum was his answer. "Become good at hunting then, eh? I'll get it to ya for dinner, don't ye worry. I'll have some for ye breakfast too." After being paid she sat back in her seat and continued working on what looked to be a quilt. br /br /They didn't have much trouble divvying up the rooms. Roland and Evan shared one - with Lofty, Batu and Tani shared the other. Dinner was brought to the doors of the rooms, along with a note saying that breakfast will be delivered at 10 am the next morning, and leaving the dishes outside the door tonight would be fine. Evan did look at Roland a little funny for actually drinking blood, but chose not to comment on it in favor of eating his own dinner. They left the dishes outside the door as asked, before turning in for the night. br /br /The next morning breakfast was indeed outside the door, and the dishes from the night before gone. Roland brought the food in before quickly drinking his breakfast and then waking Evan. While Evan ate he got dressed, and set out the cloths the king would change into. He also tied back his hair again, making sure his arms band was equipped and would stay on. Once the two were ready, leaving the sheets and blankets as they found them to be polite, they brought their dishes down and waited for Tani and Batu to arrive as well. Roland was combing Evan's hair when they did, finishing off the remainder of their toast as they descended. br /br /Once all together they set off to get an audience with the Grand High-roller, to join them in the Declaration of Interdependence. They were stopped by the guard, as an unforeseen road block. Three rounds of dice later, and they owed the guard 10,000,000 guilders. br /br /Despite how many times Tani and Evan asked, he would not attempt drinking the blood from the creature they kept shouting about money. He did, however glare at it as hard as he could, and told it strong"Do. Not."/strong with a much more powerful and primal voice than he had ever used around them. The bird shut up for a good hour or so after that. Unfortunately, Batu ended up gaining a much fatter bird that was anything but quiet too. Evan's intimidated bird uttered a quiet "you owe me." before looking at Roland fearfully. Batu's just belted out a strong"Money. Now."/strong until Roland glared it into submission too. At least they weren't going to have ringing ears for the duration of these...debts...br /br /After a lot of scrambling around, finding trick dice, getting their debts removed by the high roller after beating the guard at his own cheating, and the whole inspection and unveiling of Lady Luck's trick die, defeating Longfang after the kings bond was broken, having Goldpaw join the Declaration of Interdependence, and the pitstop to Capstan-upon-hull, they were finally sailing to Hydropolis! . .notes/files/clipdata/clipdata_200122_171926_ -/p 


	2. Goldpaw

Finally out at sea. Roland enjoyed the breeze greatly, as many of the sky pirates seemed to as well. Most complained of the smell of salt, but to Roland it smelled like a long walk on the beach. Batu was a bit seasick though, heaving his stomach up over the other end of the deck. Roland paid very little mind to it, more focused on watching where the ship was heading and letting the wind blow through his ponytail.

Evan seemed to notice that he was enjoying himself, and walked up to Tani to talk about it. They shared a laugh over it, before Tani climbed up to the crowd nest for a bit. Lofty ended up taking Evan under the deck for some paperwork, as a few sky pirates aided Batu.

Roland was the first to spot Hydropolis, leaning over the rail just a bit more to watch it come into focus. He was holding onto some rope rigging to stay balanced, and to keep from being tossed in the water should he fall. Tani came down from the nest after signaling the captain they were on course.

The entrance into the city wasn't grand, it was tame and tiny despite Evan being a king. They were here for business after all. The Declaration of interdependence was to hopefully be signed by the queen. They learned the rules upon docking, the four pillars. No high places, no illness, no romance, and no harming others. Talk about being a control freak! The real kicker was no romance. How on the planet did they survive? And how did they have children if they couldn't have romance?

And then the question of were there any vampires in the party. "Just me." Might as well get it over with. Roland had a sneaking suspicion this would happen, since ships were always coming and going. Trade, fishing, visitors. There had to be vampires passing through at some point. "Right. Only one vampire off the ship at a time, try not to mark anything as your territory since there are vampires living here that already have, keep yourself in check, vampire compulsion is not tolerated except if it is the last thing to solve a situation. If you need sustenance, the bar should have something for you to eat, provided you need more than just regular food. That is all for vampires besides the four pillars." With a nod from the guard they were allowed to proceed into the city.

Gathering information was not all that fruitful. Gaining an audience with the queen was nigh on impossible, the only way seemed to be through the Archon - Leander. He rarely got involved unless one or more of the pillars was broken though. And Roland could smell the vampires that lived here everywhere. He wasn't one to make territory, but he was sorely tempted to just so he could breathe without getting a headache from the markings.

For now though, since he wasn't about to mark anything no matter how tempting, he settled with burying his nose in Evan's hair. They all seemed surprised, so Roland had to explain. "There are so many markings from the vampires here that it is making my head hurt. This was the quickest way I could think of to block the scents." Evan, at the very least, seemed to understand. Maybe it was his feline instincts, since cats had a great sense of smell like vampires. Batu, Tani, and Lofty seemed confused still, but let the matter drop.

"Oh yeah! We should each have an item from Roland that has his scent all over it. That way if we run into any of the vampires here they won't try to mark us. Vampires are possessive, right Roland?" Evan said, tilting his head back slightly. "Very." Was Roland's response, almost sulking. "All I have on me right now are ribbons though." Ribbons? Plain black, neatly cut strips of fabric about the length of the sleeve of his great coat and as wide as two of his fingers. Not big, not flashy, but serviceable for now. They would have to wear them in any city but their own. Why didn't they think of this at Goldpaw?

Tani tied her temporary ribbon around her neck, tying it into a bow just off to the side of her neck. Batu had Roland help him tie it around his bicep, and Evan ended up wearing his tied around his wrist. At least the ribbons weren't conspicuous. He'd have to think more about their style for the next item.

Turns out Lofty had a plan to meet with the Archon. They just had to buy something to get the coral ring. Lofty took Evan and Tani off for something, leaving Roland with a brewing senses headache and Batu as his only companion. Evan thoughtfully left his cape in Roland's care, hoping it would stave off the headache because it wasn't covered in vampire pheromones. It helped, marginally. He'd look weird if he kept sniffing it or just outright held it up to his nose. So he made do, fidgeting with it every now and then to draft the scent up to his nose. Gesturing when talking with Batu. Nitpicking at seams, folding it several times in different ways.

He stopped when he heard the nose from others. Something about a girl being in a high place. He looked up, and ther was Tani in a pretty dress. And, walking towards her was Evan in a white suit. "What!?" Batu didn't seem enthused. Roland was just kinda dumbfounded. "Isn't that yer boy with my little girl?" He rounded on Roland. Improv? Roland was still trying to see how they would meet the Archon this way. A feat he accomplished with Batu shaking him like a doll while saying things like "I thought ye taught him better" and "they's too young to be married." _'The pillars!'_ Roland connected. They were up high, which was against one pillar, and they were displaying romance! So that was Lofty's plan. Roland smirked as it all came together. That was why they needed the ring. For the, hopefully, fake proposal. Batu was still shaking him. Right, improv. "Well, we've got to stop them." He said, before pushing his way through the crowd as carefully as he could. They arrived just before the guard. Lofty handed Roland both Tani and Evan's outfits, which he had placed off to the side when they had started. Roland got the hint and stowed them in his bag. They were all taken to a cell.

After several minutes, in which Evan and Tani changed back into their usual clothing while Roland and Batu made sure they were out of view, the Archon himself paid a visit.

And blessed be, was he beautiful. Well, to Roland anyway. Roland would probably do anything the man asked, with minimal questions. A surge of possessiveness hit him, the pure want to claim the beautiful Archon as his lingering in the back of his head. He resolutely shoved it away, he had work to do damn it! It was so difficult to not act on his instincts when he ended up walking right behind the man.

Seems Queen Nerea wanted to meet them. Well, according to Leander anyways. Probably to find out why they were here. Supposedly she has been in quite the mood lately, so they must tread with care.

Which was easier said than done when Roland was looking only at Leander.

He thought they might actually get along well. Well, up until Leander didn't seem to want to join the party on the errand the queen sent them on when she asked. Leander seemed disinterested, as if this want a big deal. It really wasn't, as they later found out, when Leander told them that their target didn't really bother Hydropolis, so he had no idea why Queen Nerea had sent them to defeat it.

They returned to Hydropolis with the item it had dropped - the Eather of the Sea if Roland heard right. The guards were panicking. Queen Nerea was missing and the storms around the cradle were gone.

Leander asked their aid, since he could not get to the bottom of the cradle alone. Evan agreed to help, which meant Roland was to help as well. Ugh. Why did Evan want to help him? He was so apathetic about what concerned anyone outside of Hydropolis, and didn't seem to care that Evan was in fact a king. Then again, he acted almost casual with Nerea, who was his Queen.

Roland would go where Evan lead, even with company he detested. If only Leander hadn't have opened his mouth. Granted, he had a lovely voice as well, but his attitude sucked. Roland had made sure he stuck close to Evan, should Leander try and pull something Roland would take most if not all the damage from it. And he made sure to keep an eye on their temporary companion.

They managed to reach the depths, where the entrance to the cradle lay on the sea floor. And there she was, Queen Nerea. Along with Doloran, who was holding her Kingsbond. Leander was practically begging her to return to herself, and it seemed to work. Unfortunately, Brineskimmer was no longer held in a kingsbond.

One gruesome fight later, a boatload of burns and other assorted injuries, and an unconscious Roland (who had shielded Evan from an incoming attack) in tow, and they all returned to Hydropolis. After resting at the inn they returned to the throne room, Batu supporting a still battered but conscious Roland. And Queen Nerea signed the Declaration of Interdependence.

That wasn't all though. Much to Roland's silent protest, Leander was to join them before returning to Hydropolis on his wedding day. Something about seeing and experiencing the world. Roland, while very pleased with Leander's looks, was still not impressed by his attitude.

Which lead to their return to Evermore.


	3. Hydropolis

pRoland spent the rest of the day (once they returned) in his room to rest. He was still quite battered from the battle with Brineskimmer, and the assault on his senses from the over marking the vampires in Hydropolis had done. How they didn't have headaches all the time was beyond him. At least he was home now, where it smelled faintly of himself and no vampires had marked anything. And if the kingdom ran the way it should, there would be no need for territory marking. /p

pHe was up and out of the kingdom at nightfall, since he did need to eat. He wasn't use to eating the normal vampire fare, and most of the vampires here used blood as a supplement to their normal diet. Lloyd was working on getting a trade for animal blood to the kingdom, but until it was solidified and running he had to hunt. Maybe they could set up a donation center for those that wanted to contribute, as a supplementary fund. If enough people donated they could probably send excess to other kingdoms. And, it would help with blood transfusions as well. If someone needed a certain type, they could get some from a donor. Perhaps the other kingdoms would look into it if it succeeded in Evermore. /p

pRoland was glad he had decided to leave his great coat in his room, since he didn't have the cleanest feeding this night. He returned to the castle with blood soaking his black undershirt, and red streaks across his arms from the hunt. Most people didn't seem to think anything of it. However, Leander seemed quite concerned. He first asked if Roland had been injured, which he received a blunt "No" as a response. Then he was asked if it was from one of the citizens, receiving another - more aggravated - "No." In the middle of speculation Tani and Evan showed up. /p

p"Oh, your back already?" Evan asked, looking up to Roland's face. Roland nodded, sighing softly. "I was going to shower and then start on my paperwork." Tani nodded. "A good idea. You've got some red on your arm, and some in your hair too..." she said, patting his upper arm. Leander still looked confused. "But if that's not the case, then why would you be-" Leander started to ask. Roland sighed softly as Evan looked at their new comrade. "Roland is a vampire." The young king stated, bluntly and without anything to soften the news. Both Roland and Tani - and apparently the two guards at the entrance to the throne room by the sound of it - facepalmed. Roland left a bloody handprint on his face, and the two guards hit their helmets for loud clangs from metal meeting metal. /p

p"Tact Evan. We keep telling you you need tact." Roland mumbled, a long suffering sigh leaving him afterwards. /p

pLeander, bless his heart, did not react poorly to the news. "You know, that makes a lot more sense now. There were some odd habits I had no real way to place, and the fact that you seemed to have more energy when not in the sun should have surely pointed me to that conclusion." Roland had indeed perked up more when they were in the Kings cradle. "Now that I have that piece of information, a lot of things make sense. Why you don't do paperwork during the day, why you seem to be so powerful with a sword, dietary habits, the aggravation you had in Hydropolis due to marking - though I am only speculating that was your problem with my beloved city." He shrugged. "We have been trying to combat the marking as much as we can, but we aren't all that aware of where the markings are, since we cannot smell them ourselves. That, and the concoction we came up with doesn't seem to last long or completely get rid of the scent." /p

pWell then. At least they were trying to manage the situation. /p

pRoland picked at the drying blood on his arm. "Would you please excuse me? I really do need to shower, and I do have some work to get to." He said, before giving Evan a short bow and strolling off to his room as he let his hair out of it's ponytail. He was actually fond of the length, despite being slightly hard to maintain. It suited him too, much better than the short cropped style he had taken to as he grew older and had less time to care for it. /p

pAfter his shower, while he was still drying his hair in a bath robe, the door opened. He looked over, still attempting to dry his hair, to see who it was. "Oh, I thought you would have finished by now. I'll just wait in the hall then." It was Leander. Huh. "I thought you would be more of a shower in the morning person, Leander. I'm actually pretty much finished. I can continue drying my hair in my room, if you really need the shower." He could be civil. He usually was, even if he didn't really like the person - or trust them. Leander was in the latter category right now. /p

p"Actually, I prefer showering at night. I usually do a lot of walking, which builds up a lot of sweat, so it is nice to shower and get rid of the sticky feeling before bed." Leander said, walking further in and placing his things on the sink counter. Roland walked past him and out the door, humming in contemplation. "Interesting. That is...good to know for the future." Well, no more hogging the bathroom for a hot bath every night. Not if Leander was taking one at that time as well. And, he would have to probably start making sure his hunting didn't leave him a bloody mess as often as it did, since he wouldn't be able to wash laundry every time he was hunting. He usually washed his hunting garments himself, since he wasnt about to let the maids do it. He was a gentleman, even if they said they didn't mind he minded. He wouldn't want to wash the blood out of someone else's cloths, so why would someone do it for his? /p

pThankfully he wore black, which his stains so much easier than any other color. He would rinse it till it came clean, then use the soap on it till the soap came away clean too. And then he would hang it out to dry with the rest of the laundry, on a different post since he usually washed the great coat as well as his shirt and pants. Thankfully Evan had made sure he had a set of clothing for each day, and that each set was washed and in the wardrobe the next day. It made it so much easier to know if he needed to do laundry - or if he had missed scrubbing the blood from a set. He had only missed once, and that was the time after battling Longfang in Goldpaw. Granted, that was his own blood. And he had been quite injured in the battle after taking a swipe aimed for Tani. His great coat had been torn by Longfang's claws that time, and it had been cleaned and neatly stitched together in his wardrobe the next day. He could barely find where it had been mended, the seamstress had done that great of a job on it. And his under shirt too! /p

pHe settled behind his desk after changing, letting his damp hair stay down as he worked on the paperwork of his position. Chief consul was no joke with paperwork. Thankfully, his time as president in his world gave him the patience and know how to deal with paperwork, and chief consul had less paperwork than he use to have! He left the window open, allowing the night breeze in to provide a draft and to hopefully dry his hair more. /p

pEvan, Tani, and Batu were all usually asleep by now. Leander may or may not be finishing up for the day. Roland felt like he was the only person in the world awake during this time, sans the guards at the entrance to the kingdom, the patrols inside, and the guards posted at the castle entrance. With a sigh he finished his paperwork, and stood. After a stretch to help ease tension in his back and arms he snagged a book from the bookshelf and went to his room. Vampires as a whole didn't need much - if any sleep. Most liked to nap the day away to conserve energy, but they didn't have too. Roland usually didn't sleep, mostly because he was now following Evan around building the kingdom and completing requests for the citizens. And he had too much energy at night to nap like most vampires do during the day. He lit the fireplace in his room with a small spell he had learned, before settling on his bed and starting to read the book. Hopefully there wouldn't be any issues this night, so he could relax for a few hours. The book was pretty good, though it lacked an interesting twist to the story. Typical hero saves the day and the villain becomes a good guy by changing his ways and being friends with the hero. /p

pHe went and put the book back before grabbing a new one. /p


	4. A break in Evermore

p The next morning brought a sleepy Evan to breakfast, where Roland and Leander had been silently sitting. Tani and Batu arrive shortly after, bringing their trays of food to the same table. They had typical cafeteria fare, as the kingdom was still getting on it's feet and learning how to run. Evan had chosen to eat with his people, even though it had been offered many a time that they could bring his to him elsewhere. /p

p The sky pirates seemed well use to this type of eating arrangement, with minimal squabbling and patience in line (a rare commodity anywhere else save when Batu called meetings.) The stragglers from Ding Dong Dell and those that moved from Gold paw were also content with this setup, though not as use to it as the pirates had been. /p

p Leander and Roland bad been silently sitting across from each other, Roland picking at his food a bit trying to convince himself that he would have to eat this from now on without being so picky about it and Leander eating much like a noble would with both his knife and fork. A far cry from Khunbish, who sat nearby eating with his hands and fork depending on which part he was eating at the time. /p

p Roland was eating some toast, with a blood substitute (an experimental on e Lloyd was trying out, after gaining Roland's permission to be a guinea pig for it) that looked highly similar to tofu - save that it was red in color and seemed to be the consistency of jello - with a small side of blood sausage and potatoes. And a cup of plain black coffee fresh from the brewing process. /p

p Leander was eating the standard military fare. Toast, an omelet, a few slices of fruit, and a cup of orange juice. There was a small cup of what they called Poi as well, with a few cinnamon dusted strips of dough dipped in it. He ate without complaint, with proper etiquette and a large amount of dignity. And he had a cup of fresh coffee to the side as well, sipping from it occasionally. /p

p Everyone ate military fare, save the vampires who all ate something highly similar to Roland with a few variances based on personal preference and dietary restrictions. Roland was not normally picky, so he usually let Lloyd handle his food. Lloyd had a good memory for what people seemed to like on their plates. /p

p Breakfast was slightly awkward, though not as bad as their return trip from Hydropolis had been. Leander and Roland were civil, only talking to each other about work and both not participating much in idle conversation unless there was a question directed to them. In the throne room, Evan designated Leander the position of Junior Consul. Which meant that Roland and Leander would have to interact more. Roland had the sneaking suspicion that Evan had done that on purpose after observing their interactions over breakfast. Well, he may as well try. If it failed, so be it. He could at least say he had tried. /p

p Roland was left in charge of showing Leander the ropes, as their job description was pretty much the same. Roland showed his new partner his office, and left civil disputes and check ins for Leander to start on when he was able. Leander knew that Roland would be in his office at night, and would usually accompany Evan during the day. Any questions or concerns could be directed to Roland, or Evan if need be. He did have some authority, though he should take care not to misuse it or Evan would strip him of said authority. Yadda yadda, rules rules rules. Leander was kind enough to pay attention to the laws and rules of Evermore that Roland explained, as he would be stationed in the court as one of Evan's inner circle for the time being. One must know the laws they are to uphold. He did not touch upon the laws and rules for vampires, only instructed Leander to find him for such a case as it was easier to explain and show at the same time. He would assist the first several times until they were both certain Leander could hold his own on such a front. /p

p "Any questions at this time?" Roland asked, flipping the papers on the clipboard of rules and laws back to the front page. And placing said clipboard on Leander's desk. Each office had a clipboard of rules and laws to refer to. Roland referred to his frequently when doing paperwork. /p

p With the questions Leander had asked answered, Roland nodded and took his leave. He needed to check in with Batu and the guards about patrols and their findings. And then check in with the minister of finance for Evan to get a solid grasp. He consolidated information from the various sources around the kingdom, and presented the information to Evan in a formal packet of paperwork. With Leander helping consolidate information, his work was slightly easier and there was less of a chance of messing up imparted information by trying to keep up with seven things at the same time. /p

p Roland still wore his guard's great coat, instead of the Chief Consul's garb he should be wearing. It was easier, more comfortable, and less conspicuous to run around in his great coat than the official coat of office. And around Evermore, it didn't matter what he wore. Everyone here knew him and his position, and didn't raise a fuss if he was wearing either outfit. /p

p Evan called a meeting a few hours before sundown, discussing what to do next and where to go. As Ding Dong Dell was still out of the picture because of Mousinger's patrols and the abilities of the sky pirates gliders being mountainous only, the only available option was Broadleaf. They had to cross the gap in the ocean to get there though. Their boat wasn't ready for that either. Leander suggested modifying the boat so that it could "jump" over, and that he would need to get in touch with the ship weights to direct the modifications. He had seen and assisted many times after all, and studied the plans quite meticulously. /p

p "We leave it to you then. Let us know when the ship is ready to depart." Roland said, nodding. Leander, despite poor attitude to the initial idea of their assistance, was actually making an effort. Seems they both thought effort was better than inaction when interacting with the party. Leander nodded, and excused himself after telling Roland that the paperwork from today would be on the man's desk for tonight. Roland nodded while looking at Leander, before turning back to the map to chart the nearest jump spot. Whilst sneaking a glance at Leander as he left completely. /p

p 'Leander is much too beautiful for his own good. Nerea is a very lucky woman to be able to marry him.' He thought, plotting their course to Broadleaf from the jump spot. /p

p They were off in two days time, sailing to Hydropolis first to pick up something Leander had forgotten. Luckily Hydropolis was not far from their intended jump spot. /p

p The jump was interesting, to say the least. It quite literally felt like the entire ship had just up and jumped, as if to shake them off. Leander had warned them to hold on as they approached the jump. Roland had barely remained standing on the landing, while both Tani and Evan had cleanly lost their feet from the deck. /p

p They followed Roland's plotted course, docking at a gear sticking out a bit from the shore. There was a lot of green tinged smog here, enough for both Roland and Evan to cover their mouths and noses from the smell. Thankfully, Broadleaf was not too far from the shore. /p


	5. Broadleaf

p Broadleaf, from the outside, was ginormous. It was nearly impossible to climb, and very difficult to get into if one were to strip the layers away from outside. It was, essentially, a fortress. Roland could feel the wards as they came up to it, the buzzy feeling making him itchy. Leander seemed to be the only one to notice that he had gotten twitchy, and quietly pulled Roland off to the side to ask about something. /p

p "Roland, is everything alright? I've noticed you have been having...issues...the closer we get. I wanted to make sure everything was alright, or if there was something we could fix." Leander said, as they walked a bit further back from the group. "It is...nothing. I can feel the wards here, and it makes me uncomfortable because they are to prevent vampires from entering. There is...nothing we can do about it. I do thank you for your concern though. It seems the others are not as observant as you are." Roland replied. Then again, Leander was the Archon. He probably became quite observant about others because of the position he had been put in because of the pillars. /p

p "I see. Well, if you need anything, I'm sure we could assist you in getting it. I'll see if there is some way to get you into the city, be it by getting a counter pass to the wards, or some sort of spell. I know his majesty would prefer to keep you by his side, if only because you are his mentor in such things as leading. He sees you as a dependable older brother, and treats you as such because he is comfortable. It would be too great of a challenge at this point for him to attempt convincing The head of Broadleaf to sign the declaration on his own, without proper back up." Leander was only stating the facts he had noticed, so Roland was quite surprised. /p

p "They will know, as soon as they find I have not entered Broadleaf. As for Evan...I see much of myself in him. I find it easy to relate to him, and have indeed come to see him as a little brother. I know he will make a fine king someday. You should catch up with them. I think I'll try and hunt around the area for a bit. I don't think much around here will taste good, but I am hungry enough to not care." Roland also wanted to find a place that wasn't covered in smog or green goop, a breath of fresh air. Something that didn't assault his senses or cause him to cough from pollution. /p

p It wasn't long later that a small grey sparrow landed on his head. He had managed to hunt a monster without covering himself in blood. Finishing his meal he looked up at the bird, and then followed it back to Broadleaf when it paused. Leander must have sent it then. Most likely by magic. He did meet Leander at the entrance, along with a pink haired girl with an interesting pair of goggles on her head. /p

p "This the vampire?" She asked, a smile on her face. "Indeed. This is Roland, Evan's Chief Counsul." Leander said, adjusting his glasses. "Roland, this is Bracken. Chief of...mechanics?...here at Broadleaf." Leander introduced them. "A pleasure to meet you, miss Bracken. I'm sorry for the trouble." Always good to be polite. "No big deal. At last you are polite. I've got a little check list for you to follow while your in Broadleaf, but other than that I don't think you will have too much trouble. And hey, no need to be so formal and overly polite with me yeah?" She passed over a short pamphlet, which he read front to back twice. "These are very similar to the rules back home." He said, tucking it into a pocket in his great coat. Home being Evermore, of course. It was home, no matter where he had come from. /p

p She pulled a pass out if the pouch on her waist and handed it to him, waiting until he looped it over his head before nodding. "Alright, just let me know when you want to leave so I can grab the pass back once your outside." Roland nodded, and she lead them inside to their awaiting friend group. /p

p Evan was particularly enthusiastic to have him with the group again, smiling wide and sticking nearby at all times. /p

p So this...Zip...guy, was focusing too much on this reactor, and putting his friends and people in danger by overworking them too hard for too long. Bracken was understandably worried, as he had not been like this before. "Doloran is probably behind this. After all, he got to both Grand High Roller Pugnacious and Queen Nerea. I wouldn't be surprised if he was after...President...? Zip's kingsbond as well." Roland said, putting a hand to his chin. It would follow the pattern. /p

p They hurried up to the factory at Bracken's insistence, for a final memolith she was keeping there in her office. She had to adjust Roland's pass to allow him in, but it was an easy enough adjustment. She adjusted it while it was still around his neck, since they were still inside Broadleaf. He didn't want to find out what would happen if he took it off inside. /p

p They made it to her office easily enough, though they could have done without fighting against Zip's newest security bot. Roland had not been part of the fight, since the pass he wore could have fallen or been ripped off if he had. Evan had Batu and Bracken helping him though, so he wasn't too worried. /p

p Leander, Tani, and he himself instead kept other enemies from intruding on the fight, and talked about the current state of affairs in Evermore. Tani was in charge of the Mineral harvesting and the hunting lodges, so Roland and Tani had spoken often with her about the general going ons. /p

p This was good for Leander too, as Roland was planning on having Leander take over the work for the lodges and mines if he was in need of something more to do on top of his current work load. Odds are, Leander could probably be able to do all the consul duties on his own without problem in a few weeks. /p

p They made it up to where Zip was, in the main control room. Bracken showed him all the memoliths they had collected, insisting he look. And it brought him back. Just in time for Doloran to steal his weakened Kingsbond.

p Now they had to deal with a rouge Bastian. Bright side, the wards against vampires weren't affecting Roland anymore. Downside, complete and utter chaos being wreaked by the kingmaker. Roland, unfortunately, was needed in this battle. He carefully tucked the pass into his great coat, to be sure that it was safe from being removed, before arming himself with his sword. Bracken and Evan were his companions for this fight, leaving the others to keep the skyscrapers around them clear of anything that would hinder them. /p

p It was a brutal battle. They succeeded though, driving the kingmaker back into the cradle to sleep for a while. Roland collapsed from his position, having only been able to keep himself upright by leaning heavily on his sword. This is the second battle that had left him badly singed and unconscious. This time though, Leander had been assisting him. Rubbing the Soreaway into his wounds to heal, and catching him as he fell. Batu had been caring for Bracken, trying to be gentle with his large hands while he treated her along size Zip. And Tani was mother henning over Evan with Lofty. With Leander's support, and a little pick me up courtesy of Lloyd via Leander with a large vial of animal blood (supposedly, though Roland was fairly certain it was human blood by the taste,) Roland was contagious enough to walk. They spend a good night resting in the weird beds at the inn. To Roland, it was slightly claustrophobic, but he was too exhausted to care right now. /p

p They woke the next morning refreshed. Leander passed him another vial of blood to drink while the others shoveled some toast with jam in their mouths as they walked. They were supposedly meeting with Zip for the signing of the declaration this morning. Roland made sure his pass was visible again, on the off chance that the security system would peg him as a vampire inside without permission. /p

p After the signing of the Declaration of Interdependence they decided to return home. Zip asked Bracken to accompany them, since they were now partners and they needed a representative of Broadleaf there. Evan promised to send one over as well, the next time they made it over. And, Roland was told that he no longer needed a pass (security was updated by Zip while they slept) to enter and leave Broadleaf now. He was a trusted ally, and had proven himself to the people to be welcomed among them even as a vampire. /p

p They returned to Evermore via trip door this time, letting the ship know to meet them there. Evan called first dibs on the bath, leaving the others to form a line with their bathroom products and towels outside the door. Roland was seriously debating turning the bathroom to a more bath house style cleaning area. Tani and Bracken didn't seem to mind sharing the bath. But for Evan, Batu, Leander, and Roland it was a constant jostle of who got it first. Evan usually won by claiming kingship. And then Batu won by arm wrestling. It was why Roland usually bathed at night, when no one else was using it. Save that now he and Leander had to work around each other by taking one every other night instead. Which was an easy enough compromise. Even if it meant Roland had to cut down on his hunting sessions to match. Which meant putting up with the substitutes from Lloyd more often. Oh well. He couldn't complain too much. /p

p And so the day passed. Rest, recovery, and good food. Bracken fit in well, and had a hoot with the sky pirates as they wrestled and swapped stories. Roland was content to sit off to the side under a blanket with a cup of whatever warm beverage Lloyd had him trying this time. And Leander saw fit to join him. Evan was trying (and failing spectacularly) to get out of a hold Tani had put him into as Batu laughed loudly at the sight. /p

p Roland and Leander watched the spectacle in silence. Well, until Roland felt a tug on the end of his blanket. "Roland...I am sorry for my behavior upon out first meeting." Leander had spoken. "In truth, I was not in the best mood at the time. It is still no excuse, but I am sorry. As I think back on it, you had done nothing to warrant such behavior." Roland was surprised. "Its...alright. Evan and Tani did break the pillars, but that was the only way we could think of to meet with you. I was...not aware Evan and Tani were doing that until it was happening." He should have though. He was usually the brains of the team, though he had a feeling Bracken would be taking that over soon enough.

p "Shall we...start over?" Leander asked, head tilted to the side a little. "Yeah. Why don't we?" Roland agreed. A smile blossomed across Leander's face, and he stood. "Hello. I am Leander Aristides, Archon of Hydropolis and Junior Consul of Evermore. It is a pleasure to meet you. (Again.)" Toland smiled as well, knowing where this was going as soon as the introduction had started. /p

p "Greetings to you, Leander. My name is Roland Crane, Cheif Consul of Evermore and personal bodyguard to King Evan. It is a pleasure to meet you as well. (Again.)" He introduced himself as well, and then the two shared in a handshake. Before chuckling together. /p

p "Personal bodyguard, eh?" Leander asked. "It was...my first title here. Aranella made me promise to keep Evan safe, and Evan introduced me to the sky pirates as his personal guard. I just went with it at the time." Roland shrugged, bringing his blanket closer as the wind passed them by. They returned to watching the others, leaning together just enough to share warmth as they took sips of their respective drinks. /p

p "Next up is Ding Dong Dell. The only way in, however, is the mark of kings. Which Evan left in Ding Dong Dell." Roland sighed. /p

p "What if...there was a traitor?" Leander asked, catching Roland's attention. "Do you mean...?" Leander shook his head. "No. Your room. Now?" He asked, looking around them. It was much too crowded for this it seemed. Roland nodded, and lead Leander to their destination. /p

p Leander only relaxed after the door was locked, windows were shut, and he had used a detection spell for something he didn't find. /p


	6. The break in Evermore

"There was a spy here."

Roland was immediately alert at that one sentence. A spy... Bad news. Most likely from Mousinger, then. Doloran wasn't too worried st the moment about them, which left only Mousinger.

"A number of prying eyes have been set up in the castle. If one of us played traitor, we could smoke out who is behind it." Leander continued.

"And you want me to be the traitor?" Roland surmised.

"Exactly. Mousinger doesn't know you, not well enough to know if you would really leave Evan or not. I know you won't. But, if you show signs of disloyal behavior infront of the eyes, and get caught by someone in Evermore, then you can pretend outrage and leave unchallenged. And surely whoever is behind this will try and recruit you. In which I mean Mousinger, king of Ding Dong Dell. I have been able to tell the spy was sent by him, judging by the traces in the magic used in the prying eyes being from Ding Dong Dell magics."

It was a sound plan. Save one thing. "Who would be the receiving party of my disloyalty though? Surely you aren't suggesting real disloyalty?" Roland would be against it if that were the case.

"No, not real disloyalty. Meeting me at night, while I'm in disguise. Pass me the information from the day, since I'm consolidating the report this time before you look it over. I've already got a few things from Bracken to trade for it. Suspicious looking things at that. I'll tell you how to use them after the meeting, if you agree. And, you can't use my real name. I'll be going under an alias when I'm in disguise."

Leander had thought this out well in such little time. Roland could give him credit for that. "Alright. Shall we start tomorrow then?" He asked. Better get this over with quick, right? Leander nodded. Right.

"Well, if we do this then it stays between us. Evan, Batu, Tani, Bracken, and Lofty cannot know. Not until I've already gone. And no one in town will be any wiser, save that I have gone to clear my head for a bit. Agreed?" Roland asked, walking over to his wardrobe. It was his turn to shower tonight, though if Leander weren't oppose he wouldn't mind sharing. Leander would have to bring it up though. He was the one engaged, and far be it for Roland to suggest such a thing to a taken man.

He pulled up his caddy, placing it on the flood before nearby before sitting to take off his boots. Leander nodded his agreement. "The fewer people that know, the better. I'll leave you to your shower then. Shall I leave tonight's work on your desk, then?" He asked.

Roland looked over. "Best rest up. We need to be at our best to fool everyone. If you do leave it though, I will make sure it gets done. And, can you take over the talk with Batu tomorrow? I've got him scheduled at the same time as Martha, and I'd rather deal with Martha after taking the beating I did against Bastian." Martha was much less likely to violently clap his shoulder in good nature - aggravating sore muscles and healing scrapes. Leander nodded. "Then, I bid you good evening."

After Leander left Roland left his great coat, socks, pants, shirt, and underwear in his hamper. He pulled on a robe, grabbed his shower caddy, and went to take his much deserved bath.

Leander had done a good job tending his injuries. Most of them had faded, and there were no new scars left either. After a good half an hour soaking he started scrubbing his hair, making sure it was clean and to rinse all the soap out. Afterwards he pulled his robe back on, and gathered his bathroom supplies. And returned to his room to change into a soft long sleeve shirt and a pair of loose pants. Slipping on a pair of slippers and toweling his hair dry before tying it back, he left his robe and towels in the hamper as well. After putting his caddy away he made sure to re-equip his arms band. And then went to go handle his paperwork. Paperwork never ended.


	7. To get to Ding Dong Dell

p The night passed quietly. Morning progressed as usual, and Roland submitted yesterday's report. With a nod to Leander, they parted ways to do check ins. /p

p Martha and her higgledies, Naill and finance, check in at the kingmakers garden, and the inn, as well as both the armory and the weaponry. Perhaps a visit to the library if he had time. /p

p The visit with Martha went swimmingly. He was even gifted a pressed flower bookmark by the higgledies. And here he thought they favored Evan. Heh. /p

p After bidding them a good day he went to the Armory. After turning in the latest requested material for yesterday's report of sales and some small talk about improvements to bring up to Evan, he did the same with the Weaponry. Seems Bracken made a good impact here, as both the weaponry and armory had a few pieces he had seen around Broadleaf. No doubt the Minister of Innovation was hard at work. Leander had her on today's check in. /p

p He went down to the Inn, since it wasn't far out of his way. Business was , apparently. Especially with the newest improvement to Aranella square and the recent addition of rooms to the inn. They even expanded the menu. /p

p The talk with Naill went well enough, though it was slightly awkward when it was brought up that Naill wanted to visit Goldpaw again for some gambling. Things were good in forestry too, which was a newer section of Evermore. One that hadn't been assigned regular check ins, but usually Roland tried to put in with whoever was speaking with Naill that day. He consolidated his reports, and made sure they were ready for the event in the next few hours. /p

p The day passed quickly after he returned a book to the library, picking up a new one and retiring to his room after asking Evan of he needed anything. Said king was looking over paperwork, and dismissed him easily enough save to ask a maid for a pot of tea if he could. /p

p Having asked the nearest available maid, he settled on his bed and started to read. As the sun set he made sure to wear his great coat, grabbing the stack of papers from his office before meeting with their mysterious visitor in the meeting room. /p

p It was there he passed over the papers, receiving a few odd and ends that looked much like contraband. Bullets, a canister marked with a sun and a button on one end, a few wrapped candies with a frog label, a pair of transparent sunglasses, and a little walking doll that looked like Lofty. /p

p Lies passed from his lips easily about his loyalty, as he knew who was under the hood, knew what was going on, and that more than one person was listening in. All according to plan. Batu would probably spy in the next night, as it was his man listening in. The next night would be the same paperwork, as he intended Leander to consolidate all the information again. It was likely the work from today would be presented to him in the morning, he would check it, and they would place it on Evan's desk that same morning before breakfast. /p

p And it was. Roland passed over the paperwork, and obtained the last item he needed for this, a creature called a "Lockety Clicker" that could supposedly open any door that was locked and had a key hole. And, he could feel Batu looking in. /p

p The next morning, they were in the throne room. Roland had barely finished giving the weekly report when Batu spoke up. "Have a good night eh, Roland?" Roland looked over. "I have no idea what you are talking about." /p

p He did, but he had to feign ignorance for this. /p

p "I mean, you were spilling Evermore secrets to the enemy. And don't say ye wasn't, I caught ye red handed passin' over important documents. Now spill. Just what do ye think yer doin'?" /p

p Well, when it was put like that. "So this is how much trust I've earned, huh?" He asked. He threw his right arm out to the side dramatically. "Then I may as well just go where my talents will be appreciated." And he walked away. /p

p "And where do ye think yer goin'?" Batu yelled at him. Which was shortly followed by Evan's cry of "Roland!" /p

p "Goodbye, Even. Batu." /p

p He walked off, not even bothering to stop by his room. /p

p He wasn't that far away from Evermore when he called out to his follower. "And just who are you?" /p

p The spy of Mousinger. Confirmed when he was lead into Ding Dong Dell itself. Right I to the palace. And met with Mousinger himself. /p

p Talk of loyalty. That he had turned against Evan. About performing on a larger stage. And finally, the test to prove his worth. /p

p He was lead to the dungeon. Where Khunbish sat in a cell. "Master Roland!" "You...Your Batu's man." Roland said, surprised. "Aye. Khunbish's the name." "Why am I not surprised?" He asked quietly, walking up to the bars. Did Batu seriously send someone after him? /p

p "Enough chat. It you want to prove your loyalty, then kill him. Best cut all ties with your former master, right?" Mousinger said, stroking his thin facial hair. /p

p "I've got my own way of dealing with things." Roland said, calling up his gun from his arms band. /p

pKhunbish tried to get him to stop, as he loaded three bullets into the barrel. "N-now, Master Roland...!?" Was all he got out before Roland shot him three times. Khunbish may look dead, but he wasn't. Not really. "Satisfied?" He asked Mousinger. "Enough." Was his response. /p

~~~

p It was a few days before he was allowed to run two errands for Mousinger, and before he was told they were looking for the Mark of kings. Supposedly it was red. "Oh, that. Evan wears it around his neck all day, every day. It would be though to get it back." On his way out was his second errand. Vermine wanted him to tell the guard about the meeting time being changed. /p

p He told the guard that the meeting was changed, and added in his own bit about them patrolling outside the castle where Evan's room was. "Don't ask me, I'm just relaying orders." Was his response when asked why. /p

p Later that night he crept up there, and tried the door. It was, predictably, locked. So he used the Lockety Clicker to open the door. And then went to examine the statue in the room. And opened a hidden passage with the button one had to know was there to use. Down he went, to find a chest. A sword was inside, along with the mark of kings. It was green. He surmised it must have been the items Evan was to take if he ever left Ding Dong Dell. /p

p "I knew if I left you to your own devices we would find the pendant." Came from behind him. Mousinger, Vermine, and several guards were all behind him. "Well now. When did you start to doubt me?" Roland asked, smirking. He put the pendant into his pocket, pulling out the cylindrical container with the button on one end. And sliding the transparent shades on his face. /p

p "I never trusted you from the start." He clicked the button on the glasses as that was said, before pressing the button on the Cylander and throwing it up. Said cylander burst, blinding all but him as he raced to the dungeon. He sent the Lofty doll into the cell with Khunbish still thankfully in it. After a ring and puff of smoke, Khunbish woke up. /p

p Before Khunbish could yell too much, Roland popped one of the sweets into his mouth, turning him into a frog. And the taking one himself. And they escaped into the sewers to yelling behind them. /p

p They returned to Evermore, turning back from frogs the moment they were out of Ding Dong Dell territory. Needless to say, it was a quiet walk back. /p


End file.
